Gujarat polls: Will not hurry to declare candidate list, says Congress

NEW DELHI: Treading carefully in Battleground Gujarat, the Congress has decided against announcing its candidate lists well ahead of the December elections. At the same time, Congress has already indicated to candidates in at least half of the assembly segments that they would be the chosen ones but would not declare their names till a few days before filing nominations.

The strategy to keep its cards close to the chest has been devised by Congress to check dissidence and wooing by rival camp. Senior Congress functionaries, who did not wish to be identified, told ET that in at least 90 constituencies, leaders have been informally communicated that they would be the official candidates.

“While this allows them to begin campaign work, it also helps the party in keeping its flock together for a longer time,” said a central Congress leader. The Congress expects a close fight in which it would be essential for it to manage its rebels. Like all elections, Congress fears that rebels fighting as independents would help the BJP. The later the lists are announced, the less possibility there is for the rival camp to fund rebel’s election.

“This is a high stake election and the Congress, no matter what BJP may tell you, is very much in the game. We need to give the opposite camp less time to do damage. It is but natural that when we announce the lists there would be heartburn over tickets. We are ready to pacify the rebels, like we did in Punjab,” said another leader.

Congress also has a contingency plan in place. The party would follow the strategy it employed in the run-up to Punjab assembly elections earlier this year. Though the lists were decided at least two months in advance, the first list was announced a month before the actual election date. Immediately, senior leaders were deputed to pacify the dissidents.